Post Office Murals (Pane of 10) First-Class Mail Forever Stamps 2019

These “Post Office Murals” Forever stamps celebrate Post Office lobby artwork painted in the 1930s and 1940s. The origin of Post Office murals can be traced back to 1933. That year, in a letter to longtime acquaintance President Roosevelt, artist George Biddle suggested that the government should commission artists in need of work to enliven the walls of public buildings. Later that year\, the Roosevelt administration established the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP). Funded by the Civil Works Administration, the New Deal program led to the hiring of more than 3,700 artists. Under PWAP leader Edward Bruce, the artists were encouraged to depict an American scene, a style of painting that eschewed modern trends and focused on the idealized portrayal of daily life in America. In less than a year, the artists created thousands of murals, stand-alone paintings, and sculptures. Following the expiration of the PWAP in 1934, the U.S. Treasury formed the Section of Painting and Sculpture. Eventually renamed the Section of Fine Arts, the initiative sought to brighten newly built Post Office locations and federal buildings. From 1934 through 1943, the Section commissioned more than 1,000 murals. The buildings were some of the country’s most widely trafficked public spaces, which meant many people could enjoy the murals. Each of the pane's 10 stamps features a detail of one of five unique murals: “Kiowas Moving Camp” (1936) at Anadarko, Oklahoma “Mountains and Yucca” (1937) at Deming, New Mexico “Antelope” (1939) at Florence, Colorado “Sugarloaf Mountain” (1940) at Rockville, Maryland “Air Mail” (1941) Piggott, Arkansas Printed underneath each mural is the town or city and state in which the work of art is located. The words “Post Office Murals,” “Forever” and “USA” run along the bottom of the stamps. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps.

• These “Post Office Murals” Forever stamps celebrate Post Office lobby artwork painted in the 1930s and 1940s.
• The murals were designed to add a touch of beauty to Post Office walls and help boost the morale of Americans during the era of the Great Depression.
• On the stamp art, the town or city and state in which the work of art is located is printed underneath each mural.
• The murals included are: “Kiowas Moving Camp” (1936) Anadarko, Oklahoma; “Mountains and Yucca” (1937) Deming, New Mexico; “Antelope” (1939) Florence, Colorado; “Sugarloaf Mountain” (1940) Rockville, Maryland; and “Air Mail” (1941) Piggott, Arkansas.
• Art director Antonio Alcalá¡ designed the stamps.